Stranger Behind My Shadow
by jemetc
Summary: A character from Cats narrates her story. Can you guess which? However, I think this poem can also stand alone...


Stranger Behind My Shadow  
  
They used to tell me  
My shadow was darker than most  
And I had no real world  
I didn't belong; I was lost  
They used to tell me I had no home  
They kept on telling me I was alone  
Of course I didn't believe them  
I knew where I was born  
I knew I'd been with them  
Since the dawn of my very first morn  
But soon I learned that they spoke  
Of the shadow that can't be seen  
They were talking about the shadow  
Of my hidden darkness within  
The enchanting darkness of my destiny  
Destiny created in my mysterious history  
And then I learned that one day  
I'd stand between what's right and what's wrong  
Seeing how the moonlight came  
And how the morning rose   
I knew it wouldn't be long  
And then they said  
In my heart was buried the worst evil  
My soul didn't purely possess good  
I was the daughter of the devil  
At first I couldn't, but I had to believe  
That what they said was true  
To curse my life and call me bad  
Was something they had to do  
They had to say what I was to be  
They had to say what made me me  
So I would know what made my shadow  
And somehow face what comes tomorrow  
And then they couldn't tell me anymore  
I did not find all I was looking for  
I had to find the answers somewhere else  
Find them in a land where no one tells  
It was nearly an impossible task  
But I needed to dig into my unexplained past  
I had to find the stranger  
Who gave my life the creeping shadow  
If I couldn't open any doors  
Then I had to unlock a window  
And then one day I had my chance  
As light ran from night's steady advance…  
There he was watching me  
Following without a sound  
I sensed him and began to stare  
Yet he firmly held his ground  
He was like the glimmer of the moon  
Trapped in the sunset's vanishing majesty  
There he was,  
The figure who authored my destiny  
His emergence seemed to me  
Like an answered wish  
I knew fate had just made light and dark  
Share their long-awaited kiss  
He was the one who ruled the dark  
Governed and commanded sin  
I was his daughter from the light  
The one who stood between  
His eyes looked into mine with a fiery gaze  
Like a warning it was the end of my days  
We were trapped in what was eternity  
In what was in truth just moments  
He just watched  
While my world was tangled in torment  
I knew that it was he-  
Who else could he be?  
The scene remained that chilling way  
For several seconds more  
Then, my soul screamed that  
I couldn't look at him anymore  
I turned and ran  
Unable to face the man  
On and on I dashed down the path  
Wanting to escape what could be his wrath  
Overwhelmed with curiosity, I looked behind  
He was still there, Darkness' mastermind  
Looking at me with those eyes of his  
The wonder, awe and thrill I couldn't miss  
I ran faster still, trusting my road lead to safety  
My mind was ablaze with unleashed reality  
I reached my home before turning around  
But when I did, he was nowhere to be found  
I searched the black veil of night, just to see him again  
But he'd taken flight into the realm of dangerous men  
I knew I wouldn't see him anytime soon  
Yet still I waited for him by the moon  
Thinking that if he knew who I was he'd come back  
To talk me into turning my soul black  
But he never came  
Even as I longed to glimpse him in the rain  
I waited to see him watch his daughter  
But he was gone as warmth is at winter  
They never spoke to me again of him  
Thinking they'd said enough, it seemed  
But I didn't still know what was the truth  
Of what transpired before my youth  
I'd run away when the answers were in my grasp  
I'd run away when I just had them clasped  
And for fear I gave into then I never forgave myself  
It hindered me from ever knowing  
Who was beneath the facade of my self  
Yet I smiled and reminded myself  
That forever there will be a tomorrow  
And with each new day I'd find the strength  
To know the stranger behind my shadow  
But still my life is a question with no answers  
A book with too many confused readers  
A poem without a poet, a note without a song  
All sorts of answers I know are somehow still wrong  
So until the day I see him again  
And find the courage to not run away  
I will know the stranger behind my shadow  
If he speaks, then let him have his say  
I'll stand firm and listen  
To the words brought by his voice  
Only then shall I have an idea  
Of what I'd make my choice  
Shall I be the leader of the light?  
Of the only world I'd ever known?  
Shall I be the phantom of the night?  
Accept that his flesh and blood is my own?  
And either way, whatever I choose  
There will be no time for regret and remorse  
I would finish what I started  
Not fear what I have got to lose  
Whether by day or by night I'll live my life  
Give way for destiny to complete its course  
But until then I will wait for him to show  
He-the stranger behind my shadow  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
